Automobile-locking apparatus.



W. G. VANCE.

AUTOMOBILE LOCKING APPARATUS.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6| l9lfi.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 6,1916.

Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

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w. a. VANCE.

AUTOMOBILE LOCKlNG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-6,1916- 1,218,4=95. I Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- amewkw I/ 'ZZZQ; grmce.

Unrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. VANCE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR .OF ONE-HALF T0 ffl OBEBlT L.

- YOUNG, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. (1 1917.

Application filed September 6, 1916. Serial No. 118,698.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. VANGE,a citizen of the United States, residin at Brooklyn, in the countyof Kings and tate of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Locking Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

,This invention relates to automobile atsides in the provision of mechanism which.

may be controlled in order thatthe front wheels of the car may be turned at an angle trespasser, and I have therefore employed toward the curb when standing on thehiglm.

way whereby to render it extremely difiicult to tow the car should such be the aim of a means for positively locking the wheels in 'this position by affecting the normal con dition of the steering gear at the time of locking the car.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a selective controlling device for rendering the locking mechanism of the steering means inoperative. This arrangementi is desired in order that the owner of the car can fully comply with police and fire regulations prohibiting the turning of the steering wheels toward the curb and look ing the same.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangements of parts which will hereinafter be fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

".In'the accompanying drawings, has been illustrated, several preferredforms' of the invention, -it being, however, understood that no limitations are necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,

ut that changes, alterations and modifica parallel therewith.

tions within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired. I In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the steering column of a vehicle showing the appli cation of the invention thereto.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the device with parts in elevation. Fig. 3 1S Fig. 2. a

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44, of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a plan parts in section. i

6 is a side elevation of the rocker. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1, show- 111%? slightly modified form of the invention.

1g. 8 1s a vertical section through a portion thereof. FFig. 9 is a section on the line 99 of Fig. 10 is a horizontal section through the View of the device with device.

Fig. 11, is a conventional illustration of the circuit closer.

With reference to th form of the invena section on the line 3 -3 of.

tion shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, use is made of a steering post=1, incased in the usual tubing 2, and provided above the tubing with a steering wheel 3. The mentioned connection at 10, with the former. The said base 8, carries a fixed section. 11, of tubin which is formed of case-hardened steel and as shown, in Fig. 2, said tubing is extended through the flooring A, at a point immediately adjacent to the steering column and Within the tubing, a

hollow shaft 12, is journaled, the lower end of which having a gear wheel 13, fixed there to which is'adapted to co-act with a mutilated gear wheel 14,: on the shaft 15, of the clutch pedal 16. A suitable spring 1.7, is employed for the purpose of normally holding the teeth of the'gear wheel li, in mesh with the teeth on the wheel 13. It is therefore evident that when the shaft 12, is locked against rotation, the clutch pedal 16, cannot be moved nor the clutch operated.

Beneath the gear wheel 13, is a disk 18, having a slot 19, therein, which receives the trunnion 20, formed on a cylindrical. body 21, which is free to slide in the bore 22, of a bracket 23, the latter having fixed. connection with the flooring (A). This bracket forms a part of a locking or latch mechanism which includes a sliding pin 24, which, when projected to a point beyond. the adjacent end of the bracket is adapted to engage in one of the recesses 5, in the disk 4,-of the steering shaft 1. A spring 25, is located in the bore 22, and positioned between the member 21 and the head 26, the. latter forming a part of the pin '24. A second spring 27, 'is posi tioned between the opposite end of the bracket 23, and the head 26, whereby the effective locking end of the pin will be normally held in an inactive position. \Vhen pressure applied to'the spring 25, the condition ('lifl'erent and said effective locking end of the pin will be. projected beyond the adjacent end of the bracket. From the me chanical details ust mentioned, it follows that. movement in either direction can be transmitted to the pin 24, by oscillating the hollow shaft 12. The shaft 12, will hereinafter he termed actuator in viciv of the function which it performs. a

At the upper end the shaft 12, is provided. with a cam 28, having a crank arm 29, whose pin 30, is normally extended in the branch 31, of a cam slot 32, the latter having a concentric branch 33. second pin 34, which has fixed connection with the bail 35, of a; permutation lock 36. Said lock may be of any suitable well known construction and it is seen that wh'enthe bail is in the position shown in fulllines in Fig.

2, and in dotted lines in Fig. 3,.the pin 3() will be. disposed at one end of the branch 31,:

of the slot 32. Consequently, when. the'bail is retracted, thehollow shaft 1.2 or actuator," cannot be turned. After the lock has been set to the designated combination, the bail is free to be moved to a released position and The cam disk 28, carries an interrupter 37,,

of insulating material which is adapted tobe projected under the knife 38, ofa circuit closer 39, which is arranged in an electric cinc-uit- 40, forrni g part of an ordinary ignition system. The knife 38, has connection with a rocker 41, having controlling pins 42 and 43, whercbfimovement can'beimparted to theknife to throw it into or out of en The. crank arm carries a bears against tl gihead 64, of a gagen (ent with the switch elements 44, of said circuit closer. The interrupter thus extends beneath the blade of the switch when the cam disk 28, is in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The ignition circuit may be closed after the permutation lock has been released and the clutch pedal and steering column operated.

In some restricted sections of large municipaltis, it is unlawful to permanently anchor a vehicle upon the highway as the same cannot be moved at the time of fires or the like upon adjacent properties. In order to permit the clutch. pedaLand the ignition system-to becontrolled independent of an operation of the pin 24, I provide a selective mechanism46, consisting of a. rocker 47, having a projecting lug or extension 48, which is adapted tube. thrown or adjusted over the path of movement of the pin 24, and thereby prevent said pin from being projected into one of the receiving recesses 5, in said disk 4. The steering column is then free and the front wheels of the vehicle may be quickly turned and the car towed if desired. I

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 to 11 inclusive,the permutation lock 49, includes a shaft 50, having a' gear tion 51, meshing with a gear wheel 52, on a hollow shaft or actuator 53. The shaft-50, is provided with a hand lever 50, whereby it -may be operated manually. The shaft carand (50, the {former having connection with a sliding member {31, operating in a guide 62, andagainst' a spring 63. This spring latch pin 65 5e r;lreccss;ti, 3s gl:G8,is inter-;

posed I e outer end of the gHidefiQ, and the head 64, a.nd*hasa' greater strengththan the spring (52, so that the pin'65, may

be promptly retracted at the requisite time.

The slot 60","has connection with a. sliding member {59, which; operates in a guide 70' Said guide has mounted therein a locking pin 71, which is adapted to be projected into any one of an annular series of recesses 72, formed in-the locking disk 73, on the steering post. 'Inti posed' between thehead 74, of the pin 71', and the member 69, is a. spring -7 5, wh le-between th outer end of the guide and the opp'kosite side of said head is a spring 76. A rec er'77,'- 'i s employed in this form' and it ada. ted to' bev en tended over the outer end of t e'guide 70, to prevent the pin to ter 6 7 froiiibei'ng projected into the disk 73. no

' .The circuit 78, includes a circuit closer 7 9, having terminals 80 and 81, while upon the shaft or actuator 53,'is a knife 82, which is adapted to span the terminals 80 and 81, to close the ignition circuit when the clutch pedal and the steering column are operatively released; The other mechanicaldetails in this form and the functional results flowing therefrom are substantially equivalent to the first embodiment of the invention.

Fixed to the shaft 12, is a disk 83, having horizontally movable locking fingers 8 l--8l, theouter ends of which finding hearings in passages 85, in the base 8. The outer walls of the shell 9, are provided with keeper openings 86,- which, are adapted to receive said locking fingers as shown in Fig. 2. In this manner, the shell is locked to the base at the same time of locking the steering column,

the clutch pedal and ignition system. This prevents one from opening the shell and gaining access to the Working mechanism therewithin.

What is claimed as new is 1. An automobile locking device, comprising an actuator parallel" to, independent of a .and' arranged at one side of the steering shaft, a permutation lock, means between said lock and said actuator for holding the latter against movement and adapted to permit the actuatorto be operated when the lock is released, securing mechanism adjacent to the vehicle'fioor, and means controlled through the actuator for effecting adjustments of said mechanism.

12. An automobile locking-device 'compris-- ing an actuator parallel to, independent of and arranged at one side of the steering shhft a permutation lock; means between said loci: and said actuator for holding the 40 latter against movement and'adapted to per mit the actuator to be operated when the lock is released; a disk shaped keeper fast on the steering shaftadjacent to thevehicle floor, a bolt adapted to engage said keeper, and means for transmitting motion" from said actuator to said bolt. 3. An automobile locking device; compris ing anractuator parallel to, independent of and arranged at one side of the steering shaft; a permutation lock for holding and releasing said actuator, and means controlled by said actuator for preventing movement of the clutch mechanism of the vehicle.

4. An automobile locking device; compris- 7 ing an actuator parallel to, independent of releasing said actuator a cam fast on said actuator; means between said cam and lock for holding-the actuator against movement when the lock is set; a circuit closer; and an interrupter for said circuit closer carried, by the actuator. 3

In testimony whereof Iafiix my signature.

WILLIAM G; vanes, 

